Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of specialized covering devices in general and in particular to a specialized cover that protects the back of a driver""s left hand from the effects of sunburn while driving with an open window.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,809,366; 4,785,478; 5,125,115; and, 5,628,062, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse covering devices used to prevent the back of a vehicle operator""s hand from becoming sunburned.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical hand covering device that is lightweight in construction and imposes no restrictions on the user""s fingers.
All of the aforementioned prior art constructions envelop or surround at least some of the user""s fingers and this fact requires an undue amount of manual manipulation in either the attachment or disengagement of the device relative to the user""s hand and/or causes chafing of the skin surrounding the fingers thereby reducing the probability that the device will be worn on a regular basis.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among vehicle operators for a new and improved hand covering device that is only secured to the user""s wrist and has an inherent stiffness that maintains the device in the proper relationship relative to the back of the user""s hand; and, the provision of such an arrangement is the stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the hand covering device for vehicle operators that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general a cover unit and a securing unit wherein the cover unit is provided with an inherent stiffness that will maintain the cover unit in a xe2x80x9cfinger freexe2x80x9d covering position relative to the back of a user""s hand when the securing unit is engaged with the user""s wrist.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the cover unit comprises a semi-eliptical shaped cover member having a generally arcuate cross-sectional configuration that follows the contour of a driver""s hand while grasping a steering wheel; wherein, the cover member is fabricated similar to the bill of a ball cap and may include either a soft fabric covering over a plastic insert or a double thickness relatively stiff fabric.
In addition, the securing unit comprises a wrist engaging member in either strap or bracelet form wherein the wrist engaging member is hingedly attached to the cover member to allow the necessary flexibility to the device so that the device will not chafe the user""s skin.